Potato-planting machine



(No Model.)

J. P. WRBA.

POTATO PLANTING MACHINE. ,N-0."3'73,916. Patented Nov. 29, 1887.

N, PETERS. vhowulno n mr. Wnhinglon. n.c

UNITED STATES PATENT OrEicE.

JOSEPH 'P. WRBA, OF PRAHA, NEBRASKA.

POTATO-PLANTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 373,916, dated November 29, 1887.

Application tiled August 26, 1887. Serial No. 247,963. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JOSEPH P. WRBA, a citi-' zen of the United States, residing at Praha, in the county of Colfax and State of Nebraska, have invented cerlain new and useful Improvements in Potato Planting Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon,which form apart of this specification.

My invention relates to machines for planting potatoes, and more particularly to that class of machines in whichthe potato-planting mechanism is used in connection with a sulky or wheeled plow and is automatically operated from the wheels of the same; and it has for its object to provide a simple and efficient machine of this kind,which may be cheaply constructed, easily operated, and will not be liable to get out of repair.

To these ends, and to such others as the invention may relate, the same consists in the peculiar combinations, and in the novel construction, arrangement, and adaptation of parts, all as more fully hereinafter described, shown in the drawings, and then particularly defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a machine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal vertical section through the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the potato-box. Fig. 4 is a detail of the cutting-blade.

Referring now to the details of the drawings, A is the axle,and B B the wheels, of a sulkyplow of ordinary construction. 0 is the plow, which is bolted or otherwise secured to the plow-beam O. The wheel B is provided upon its inner face with a beveled gear, a, and secured to the upper face of the axle A at a point adjacent to the wheel B is a transverse strip of wood or metal, I). To the forward end of this strip b is pivotally attached one end of the stub-shaft b, which is provided upon its opposite end with abeveled pinion, b", adapted, when thrown into proper position, to mesh With the beveled gear a upon the wheel 13. At a point near its rear end the strip bis provided with two holes, I) and b",and the shaft 12 isprovided with a hole, c.which,as the shaft is thrown to either side, will register with the hole 12 or b*, as the case may be. The outer face of the pinion b. is provided at a point nearits periphery with a wrist-pin, d, to which is pivoted one end of the pitman e, the opposite end of which is pivotally attached to the projecting end of the sliding supplemental bottom E of the potato-box, which will be more particularly hereinafter described.

D is the potato-box, secured upon the rear ends of the supporting-armsg g, the front ends of which are secured to the axle of the machine. This box is preferably hopper-shaped, and is composed oftwo chambers,one arranged above the other, as shown at D and D the chambers being separated by a perforated partition, D and the box is provided with a cover, D. The perforations E in the partition D are of sufficient size to allow of the passage of potatoes of ordinary size,or of a size suitable for planting.

The bottom D of the lower compartment of the box is provided with a central opening, E, for a purpose hereinafter described.

E is a supplementary reciprocating bottom, which is arranged above and adjacent to the bottom D This supplemental bottom E,one end of which is extended beyond the end of the hopper, is provided along its longitudinal center with two or more holes, E corresponding.

in size with the holes in the partition D.

F is a stationary double-edged cutting-blade, secured within the hopper and extending transversely across the same at a point slightly above the reciprocating bottom,and is intended to out such potatoes as for any reason may catch within the openings E and cause the pieces to fall through the openings at regular intervals,

G is a hollow pipe or hose attached to and suspended beneath the bottom of the potatobox, beneath the central opening, E, and extending nearly to the bottom of the furrow, di rectly in the rear of the plow.

The operation of the machine will be readily understood in connection with the foregoing description. The upper chamber, D, of the potato-box having been filled with potatoes, the cover D is placed in position. The stub-- shaft b is thrown outward, so as to cause the pinion carried thereby to engage with the beveled gear upon the drive-wheel, and is secured in position by passing a pin through the holes b in the shaft and c in the strip b. The machine being set in motion, the slide E is caused to reciprocate by means of its connection with the pinion b and the potatoes are dropped at regular intervals within the furrow in the rear of the plow,where theyare covered by the next succeeding furrow.

The machine may be readily thrown out of gear by breaking the engagement between the pinion and gear-wheel, as described, and, if desired, the potato-box may be adjustably attached, so as to permit of its being removed altogether when it is desired to use the plow alone.

Having thus described myinvention and set forth its merits, what I claim to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combinati0n,with the axle, the traction-wheels, the gear'wheel a,and the feed-box, of the perforated supplemental bottom sliding in said box, the plate 6, secured to the axle and provided with a plurality of holes, a stub-shaft pivoted to said plate, a removable pin to engage said stub-axle and plate, a beveled pinion carried by said stub-axle and provided with wrist-pin d, and a connection between said wrist-pin and the supplemental bottom, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a device for the purpose described, the combination, with the axle, traction-wheels,and plow, of a hopper-shaped feed-box having a perforated bottom and divided into two compartments by a perforated plate, a doubleedged cutting-blade secured transversely of said hopper in the lower compartment thereof, a perforated reciprocating supplemental bottom arranged between said blade and the bottom of the hopper, and the pipe G, arranged beneath said hopper, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereofI affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH P. WRBA.

\Vitnesses:

VENZEL MIsEK, J OSEF VErRrEo'K. 

